Morne Seychellois National Park: hiking Mahé's mountains

Morne Seychellois National Park covers about 3,045 ha of Mahé’s uplands, more than a fifth of the island. It runs from mangroves to mountain forest, takes in the hills behind Victoria, and includes Morne Seychellois itself, at 905 m the highest point in Seychelles. The park was created in 1979 and has more than 15 km of trails, from an easy coastal path to Anse Major to a steep guided climb to the summit.

If you want one hike in Seychelles, it is here. The table below is the short version.

Main trails compared

Checked October 2026 (fees and hours: SPGA visitor information page and February 2024 trail list; lengths, times and starts: SPGA trail guides). All trails are open 8am to 4pm daily, except the summit trail, 8am to 12pm. Residents and children under 12 are free. Pay online at spga.gov.sc/tickets or by card on site; SPGA takes cash only at its office in Victoria.

SPGA also lists Salazie and Dans Gallas trails, without published lengths. We would leave those to a guide.

Morne Seychellois: the summit

The climb to Seychelles’ highest peak is the one trail where you must have a licensed guide. SPGA publishes a list of certified guides for it on its downloads page.

SPGA’s guide describes a steep climb from a river near the start, a first viewpoint over Victoria, then granite boulders before an old cinnamon plantation where the path eases. A clearing near the top has the endemic Seychelles begonia with white flowers. The last stretch climbs through mist forest with moss-covered trees. The summit is narrow, and SPGA asks hikers not to crowd it.

Allow a morning. The trail closes at noon.

Morne Blanc trail

Morne Blanc is the short, steep climb on the west side of the park. SPGA’s brochure gives 1 km and 270 m of climbing, 1 hour 30 minutes there and back, rated medium.

You start at the Tea Factory on the Sans Souci road (SPTC bus 14 from Victoria stops there; park opposite the Tea Tavern) and walk about 200 m up the road to the sign. The path climbs steadily through an old tea plantation, cinnamon forest and, above about 620 m, mist forest with handholds and small bridges. At the trig point (667 m) you look across to Morne Seychellois and back toward the Ste Anne Marine Park. A platform at the end looks south and west over Mahé and straight down about 600 m to Port Glaud.

SPGA’s fee table does not include Morne Blanc. Some tour listings say a fee applies, so check at the start or on spga.gov.sc. The brochure’s best advice: “Cloud may obscure views; an early start may be an advantage.”

Copolia, Trois Frères and Anse Major

Copolia is the best-known short climb, “famous amongst locals and visitors alike” in SPGA’s words, ending on a granite dome with pitcher plants and a view over Victoria’s harbour and the marine park islands. See our Copolia trail guide.

Trois Frères starts from the same stretch of the Sans Souci road. It crosses forest and a smooth rock slope to a shelter on a cliff edge above Victoria. SPGA says the path on to the Trois Frères Cross is not suitable for hiking and has no access.

Anse Major is the easy one: a coastal path from Bel Ombre to a beach with no road. Our Anse Major guide covers the bus and the walk.

Mare aux Cochons

This is the long day out. SPGA’s brochure gives 7 to 10 km depending on route and three to four hours of walking, starting at Le Niol (SPTC bus 32) and ending at Danzil or Port Glaud. You pass ruins of cinnamon distilleries, a Swiss-style stone bridge and a freshwater marsh that is a Ramsar wetland. River crossings toward Port Glaud can be difficult after heavy rain.

Wildlife to look for

SPGA says seven of the 12 endemic land birds of the granitic islands live in the park, including the Seychelles kestrel, blue pigeon, sunbird and bulbul. The Seychelles scops-owl is best heard at dusk along the Sans Souci road. On the ground, look for carnivorous pitcher plants on the rocky slopes and tiny frogs; SPGA’s Morne Blanc brochure calls Sooglossus gardineri, about 1 cm long, one of the tiniest frogs in the world.

Hiking with a guide

Only the summit needs one, but a guide helps on the less-marked paths. The Private nature trail/hiking tour collects you from your hotel and walks Copolia, Morne Blanc, Lower Trois Frères or Anse Major with you. It does not offer the Morne Seychellois summit, and trail fees are extra.

Where to base yourself

The Sans Souci trailheads are about 6 km from Victoria, so anywhere in the north of Mahé works. Our where to stay in Mahé guide compares the areas. On a clear morning, the high trails look straight out over the Ste Anne Marine Park, where Moyenne Island sits a short boat ride from Victoria; it makes a good day on the water between hikes.